→ Plastic a synthetic material made from a wide range of organic polymers such as polyethylene, PVC, nylon, etc., that can be moulded into shape while soft, and then set into a rigid or slightly elastic form: mains pipes should be made of plastic or copper [count noun]: bottles can be made from a variety of plastics informal credit cards or other types of plastic card that can be used as money: he pays with cash instead of with plastic ←